Volleyball State Finals
All matches at Polk State College’s Winter Haven Health Center. Admission is $12 via GoFan. Parking is $10.
Class 4A
Academy of the Holy Names (22-4) vs. Alachua Santa Fe (29-2), 4 today
How they got here: Academy of the Holy Names d. LaBelle 3-0, d. Estero 3-0, d. Lemon Bay 3-0, d. Miami St. Brenden 3-0. Alachua Santa Fe d. Cocoa Space Coast 3-0, d. Titusville Astronaut 3-0, d. Orlando Bishop Moore 3-0, d. Jacksonville Bishop Kenny 3-0.
Stat leaders
| Category | Academy of the Holy Names | Alachua Santa Fe |
| Kills | Heidi Crouse, 172 | Jalyn Stout, 534 |
| Blocks | Hedi Crouse, 45 | Joselynn Sanjurjo, 51 |
| Aces | Amanda Moroney, 37 | Jalyn Stout, 54 |
| Digs | Lauren Donofrio, 203 | Miya Thomas, 448 |
| Assists | Caroline Arnold, 452 | Anisa Dorlouis, 428 |
Outlook
After making the state semifinals each of the past four seasons, Academy of the Holy Names finally took the next step by reaching the championship match for the first time since 1997.
Now, the Jaguars will try to win their first state title since the program’s early dominance when it won three straight championships from 1975-77.
This is a veteran team with five seniors and four juniors, nearly all of whom have played in this recent run of state semifinal appearances.
With such an experienced lineup, Academy of the Holy Names knew it was capable of clearing that state semifinal hurdle. To prepare, the Jaguars played a challenging schedule. They even adopted a motto, “Make it count.”
The tough regular season matches paid off. Academy of the Holy Names swept all four playoff opponents en route to reaching the final.
But winning that elusive state title will not be easy.
The Jaguars face Alachua Santa Fe, the team that knocked them out of the state semifinals two of the past three years.
The defending state champion Raiders are currently ranked No. 1 in the class and No. 2 overall in the state by MaxPreps. They have won eight straight matches, including sweeps in all four playoff matches.
One of the keys will be how much Academy of the Holy Names can contain Jalyn Stout, the reigning Florida Dairy Farmers state player of the year who has committed to Coastal Carolina.
